Feed Nerds! Opinions wanted re: whole grain feed recipe

[LindaB220]

Yeah my dp meaties waste a lot of feed, I do ferment it, it seems like they like to scratch it all out of their feeders, they're probably 4-5.5 weeks old and wasteful! They don't get dry feed.. I have their water nipple bucket hanging, but trying to figure out the best type of feeder, as I feed them 5x a day. My 10 chickens in my laying flock don't waste their feed like these ones do.

It looks like I may make a trip to wardel's to pick up some seeds to customize their feed. I'm opening hopefully the last bag of commercial flock pellets today.

Boots- please ask away I have lots of questions too obviously! I am hating wasting the 26% protein gamebird feed on my meaties, and that it all is gluten filled and making me so sick again. My bf is starting to worry about it b/c my symptoms are coming back and it's bad...

Can you put a piece of chicken wire on top of your trough or rain gutter. Whatever you feed them in. Five times a day is way to many. I feed 2x. Enough for a small feeding in the morning and a big feeding at 5 pm. My main problem has been the waterers. I got in my nipples this week. Just have to fit them in the buckets. It will save me so much time and effort. I'm old and don't need a lot of extra hassle.

 

[Double Kindness]

I think I finally solved the issue, they get feed 3x a day now, 4-5 feeders for 25 chickens, they like to stand and scratch their ff out, but I only fill it an inch or 2 deep and they can't scratch it out of the higher sides.

They still eat a lot. I just bought 400 lbs of feed at the store this past weekend.

 

[bootsNbirds]

I think I finally solved the issue, they get feed 3x a day now, 4-5 feeders for 25 chickens, they like to stand and scratch their ff out, but I only fill it an inch or 2 deep and they can't scratch it out of the higher sides.

They still eat a lot. I just bought 400 lbs of feed at the store this past weekend.

And how long do you expect that 400 lbs to last? That seems like too much to me... admittedly I don't keep great track of my own feed. Someone told me once that you should feed the chickens no more than they'll eat quickly, if they're scratching & playing in it, they're getting too much.

But mine are free-range, so if they're hungry they can go find something else to eat.

 

[Double Kindness]

Well 50 lbs of it is actually rabbit food, 50 lbs of calf manna, 50 lbs of oats, 2 x 50 lb bags of gamebird feed 26% protein, 1 40 lb bag of organic soy free non gmo chick starter, 50 lbs of non soy corn free non gmo 20% all flock feed, 50 lbs of dog food, 25 lbs cracked non gmo organic corn and 50 lbs of alfalfa hay, 10 lbs millet, 35 lbs boss. Not all chicken feed lol, I guess I should have been more clear.

I now have 2 meat rabbit does. And about to order 15 cornish x from a hatchery somewhere that takes paypal. To ship chicks this upcoming monday as to coincide with my expected shipment of white bresse chicks = 1 trip to post office and sneaking 15 cornish x chicks past my bf.. as white baby chicks be white baby chicks, idk where this other box of chicks came from babe?!? We have the room, set up, feed lol and it looks like I'm going 8 more weeks with the 25 dp meaties I have. So I might as well do it with how fast we're going through meat and how many ppl want meat chickens that I raise to eat.

So I'm at 60 chickens without getting cornish x.

 

[bootsNbirds]

Quote:

Good luck with your Bresse! Someone gave me a pair of cockerels to try, (though only one was full bred Bresse I think) and I really liked how the meat tasted. I cooked a Cornish X side by side with the Bresse and the whole family liked the Bresse better; the meat was firmer & just nicer-tasting. The butchered bird is nowhere near the size of the Cornish X, and I doubt my meat customers would pay more for a smaller bird, but I really wish we could just grow those! So much nicer to raise than the Cornish X

 

[bootsNbirds]

All right, here's my new feed recipe! I've taken into account all the wonderful suggestions & information you've all given me. Look good to everyone?

% protein Ingredient pounds per recipe

.40 flax seed 2
1.60 BOSS 10
1.08 corn 12
2.80 oats 20
1.00 fish meal 4
6.00 yellow split peas 25
1.35 milo 15
.70 brewer's yeast 2
1.70 alfalfa pellet 10
-------------------------------------------------------------------
16.58% 100


Thank you guys again for all your help! I so appreciate it!!

 

[QueenBubbles]

What kind of corn do you use? It seems like mine eat out all the corn bits from the feed and then tell me they've finished.
I started sprouting popcorn but they got some non-soaked whole kernels and my Brahma pooped them out with some runny poo. Soooo obviously whole kernels won't work. Do you buy these ingredients from a mill?
I hate throwing out all powdery stuff that is probably the expensive supplement part of the organic feed. They won't eat it as fermented or even just soaked, either. Thanks!

 

[bootsNbirds]

What kind of corn do you use? It seems like mine eat out all the corn bits from the feed and then tell me they've finished.
I started sprouting popcorn but they got some non-soaked whole kernels and my Brahma pooped them out with some runny poo. Soooo obviously whole kernels won't work. Do you buy these ingredients from a mill?
I hate throwing out all powdery stuff that is probably the expensive supplement part of the organic feed. They won't eat it as fermented or even just soaked, either. Thanks!

I bought organic whole corn kernels. I might try cracking them a little though, the kernels are big and it seems like the hens are reluctant to eat them. Soaking would help too.... I bought most of the ingredients from my local feed store (Evan's), excluding the corn and peas, which I got from Azure Standard online. Hope that helps!

Sorry you're having trouble... I soak all the whole grains, drain the water off, then mix in the expensive stuff like fish meal, kelp, Fertrell's, yeast, and flax seeds. Otherwise they do waste the fine stuff and that's where all the vitamins are!

 

[QueenBubbles]

Thanks for the reply. They do love the sprouted popcorn kernels and their systems seem to ok with it. I got a bag of calf Manna scratch to replace the grains. They get and do eat the crumbles, so the whole grains and BOSS can be treats for when they mob me!

 

[bootsNbirds]

Thanks for the reply. They do love the sprouted popcorn kernels and their systems seem to ok with it. I got a bag of calf Manna scratch to replace the grains. They get and do eat the crumbles, so the whole grains and BOSS can be treats for when they mob me!

No problem Haha yeah they love that scratch!!